The concept of “spectacle” has high and low cultural connotations; Ravel’s choreographic poem La Valse challenges both meanings. Ravel composed La Valse in 1920 and intended it to be a ballet about nothing but the waltz itself. Unfortunately many productions of the ballet have had issues with choreography and reception, particularly regarding its dramatic ending. This presentation will uncover how La Valse disrupted established conventions of waltz and ballet as they relate to notions of both high and low culture. Ravel created a new kind of spectacle, which proved confusing for 20th century French audiences.